Ecological and biological structure of flora of devasted lands at surfur quarries

Abstract

The peculiarities of floristic structure on the devastated lands of Yavoriv and Podorozhnie sulfur quarries were analyzed based on ecological and cenotic, trophic and biomorphological structure. According to the collected herbarium material dated July 2022 on the area of Yavoriv sulfur quarry, 187 taxons of land plants were identified, which belong to 125 genera of 49 families. On the territory of Podorozhnie sulfur quarry, 160 species of land plants belonging to 116 genera of 40 families were identified. Species structure of plant communities on the devastated lands of sulfur quarries is rather diverse which proves heterogeneity of edaphic conditions of embriozems. On the territory of Yavoriv sulfur quarry, Asteraceae is the prevailing family (28 species, 24 genera), which is typical for Holarctic flora, Poaceae Barnhart (24 species, 18 genera) and Fabaceae Lindl. (21 species, 9 genera). Similarly, on the territory of Podorozhnie sulfur quarry, the prevailing families are Asteraceae (28 species, 24 genera), Poaceae Barnhart (20 species, 13 genera), Fabaceae Lindl. (16 species, 8 genera). The first six families comprise 111 species (59.35%) on the lands of Yavoriv sulfur quarry and 88 species (56.05%) — on the lands of Podorozhnie sulfur quarry. In the ecological structure of Yavoriv sulfur quarry, 53 species (or 28.34%) in relation to moisture are the dominant mezophites, in relation to natural lighting — heliophytes (184 species or 98.4%). Similar aspects were studied at Podorozhnie sulfur quarry — the dominant mezophytes in relation to moisture (67 species or 41.88%), mezophytes — in relation to nutrition (59 species or 36.88%), heliphytes — in relation to natural lighting (158 species or 98.75%). The structure of floral cenosis complexes of spontaneous flora on the devastated lands of the sulfur quarries is represented by 14 groups, including prevailing forestbush and meadow-steep types: accordingly for Yavoriv sulfur quarry — 36.9% and 22.46%, for Podorozhnie sulfur quarry — 45.63% and 20.63%. Insignificant part of segetal vegetation indicates certain stabilization of demutation processes. According to the classification by I. Serebryakov, herbaceous plants prevail among the studied cenoflora at the sulfur quarries: Yavoriv — 158 species (84.49%), Podorozhnie — 140 species (87.5%). However, the part of perennials is 53.48% and 55%, respectively. According to the mode of dissemination, spontaneous flora on the devastated lands of the sulfur quarries is mostly represented by allochorous plants: from 74.74% to 72.62%, respectively at the quarries. On the devastated lands of the sulfur quarries, four plant species listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine were identified.